The present invention is directed to a diaphragm water gun and more particularly, to a water gun having a diaphragm membrane which is displaced and expanded into a housing in order to pressurize water for release from the water gun.
Toy water guns are known which utilize pressurized air or a pressurized bladder as the motive force for discharging water from the gun upon release of a nozzle valve. U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,559 describes a water toy and fill valve combination. The water toy includes a resiliently expandable tubular bladder which serves as the pressurized water reservoir and the motive member for discharging water from the gun. Pressurized water is loaded into the bladder via the fill valve combination such that the bladder expands due to water pressure of the water from the fill valve. A trigger is provided which is connected to a release valve is provided for allowing water to be ejected from the toy water gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,827 discloses a similar water gun having a tubular bladder arranged in a tubular holding member. A separate water tank is located on the gun which holds water at ambient pressure. A pump located on the gun is utilized to transfer water from the ambient pressure water tank into the bladder, expanding the bladder. Upon release of a nozzle valve, water is ejected from the toy gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,914 discloses a similar toy water gun utilizing a water tank with water at ambient pressure, a pump and a balloon-shaped bladder located in a bladder chamber. Specialized valving means are provided to restrict air in the water reservoir from being pumped into the bladder. An alternate type of pressure chamber is also described in which the pressure chamber is formed by a spring-loaded wall which can be compressed within a chamber.
A drawback with these types of arrangements is that it is difficult and costly to produce a tubular or balloon-shaped bladder economically and with the desired characteristics to provide for fluid discharge with a relatively constant pressure during the entire discharge operation. Additionally, such arrangements always leave some amount of water trapped within the bladder in its unexpanded configuration.
Briefly stated, the present invention provides a diaphragm toy water gun. The water gun includes a housing having a handle with a trigger as well as a barrel with a water ejection nozzle located thereon. A water supply tank is connected to the main housing which can be filled with water. A pump is located on the housing for pumping water from the supply tank to at least one diaphragm chamber located on the housing. The diaphragm chamber is formed between a fixed wall and a flexible diaphragm, which can be deflected and expanded from its neutral position into a diaphragm housing. A release valve is in fluid communication with the diaphragm assembly. Actuation of the release valve allows a stream of water to be ejected from the diaphragm water gun.
In another aspect of the invention, two or more diaphragm assemblies, each having a separate diaphragm and diaphragm housing are located on the water gun housing to provide a greater capacity for holding pressurized water.
In another aspect of the invention, a disk valve is located between the diaphragm chamber and the water ejection nozzle. The disk valve is pivotable about an axis parallel to the direction of flow and can be opened relatively quickly using a simple actuator mechanism that can be produced in a cost effective manner.